Plamoaijaph co



N. A. 'S. MILLER.

FOLDING SI'EPLADDER APPLICATION FILED MAR- m. 1918.

l 3 .1 5 979 Patent-ed Sept. 16; 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- N L INVENTOR wnmEssEs ATTORNEY .Q ms coLuMBiA mwamp" co., WASHINGTON, u c.

NELSON A. S. MILLER, OF WARREN, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING STEIPLADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 16,1919.

Application filed March 14, 1918. Serial No. 222,444.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELSON A. S. M 1L1.nn, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Warren, in the county of Marshall and State.

rails as well as the leg or prop are adapted to be folded or collapsed to make the ladder structure more compact for the storage.

An object of my invention is to provlde a ladder of the character set forth which has the steps connected with the side rails in hinged mounting so that in the folding of the ladder the steps and the side rails will be brought substantially into contact w th one another, the steps being so mounted with respect to the side rails that they will be substantially in horizontal planes when the ladder is set up for use.

A further object resides in embodying brace members with the side rails and so mounting the same that when the ladder is set up for use the steps and the side rails will be positively braced and secured against collapsing andagainst side twisting or wabbling. t

. Yet another object lies in providing a prop or leg which will conform substantially to the compact lines of the. ladder when the same is brought to the folded position and which has connection with and to brace both side rails ofthe ladder when the structure is set up for use.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear in the specification, drawings, and claims, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be herein after more fully set forth.

In the drawings p Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a ladder constructed after the mannerof my invention and with the parts set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation showing the parts inthe folded relation;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. t is a view in side elevation showin the ladder set up as in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary viewat the upper end of the ladder structure showing the manner of connecting the prop or leg;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing a slightly modified form of top step; and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. i

Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the connection of the braces to the ladder stiles. i

The side rails 1 and 2 of the ladder proper have the hinge eyes 3 and 4. mounted in conjunction therewith at points spaced to correspond with the spacing of the steps of the ladder construction to be made up, and the steps 5 have fittings 6 and 7 .onthe ends thereof which embrace the bars 8 adapted to be received through the eyes 3 and 4 so that the. steps are hingedly connected with the side rails. As the j ladder will" invariably be used with the step section inc1ining over from the vertical, and as the steps are desired to be in substantially horizontal planes when the ladder is in use, it is preferable that the eyes 3 and f o'fthe side rails l and 2 be disposed somewhat off from lines taken directly transversely across the side rails l and 2, and as the side railsl and 2 are moved to fold the steps down and to bring these side rails into proximity, the one side rail will be offset from the other some what after the manner shown in Fig. 2, the degree of off-set of course depending upon the degree of departure from a right angular lining up of the eyes across the side rails.

While I haveset forth that eyes 3 and at are carried by the side rails l and 2 and that the fittings 6 and 7 are mounted in conjunction with the steps 5, it will be appreciated that the arrangement of the partsmight be reversed, and that in someinstances hinges of othertypes would be employed.

The. ladder structure as above set forth can be folded to present a very compact form, or can be set up to present the steps 5 to be disposed transversely across between the side rails 1 and 2 and substantially right angularly with respect thereto. However, in this set up relation the ladder structure has no stability. Braces 9 and 10 are con nected by means of pins or other suitable fastenings 11, upon the side rails 1 and 2 of the ladder preferably adjacent the upper ends thereof, and the remaining ends of the receive the pins 12 and13, the brace mem-- bers can be brought to a crossed relation on the rear side of the ladder structure and then when fitted to the pins 12 and13 will accomplish bracing of the ladder structure, which will make the same substantially rigid and will positively preclude swingin movement of thesteps with respect to t he side rails, or the reverse.

The ladder structure having braces mounted in conjunction therewith might be used after the manner of an ordinary ladder; however, it is desirable that a prop or leg, generally indicated at 14:, be provided to hold the ladder in the proper upright position for use without the necessity of lean ing the same against a wall or other support. As the side rails l and 2, the steps 5, and the brace members 9 and 10, are so associated that they can be set up in the position for use and can be folded to make the structure comparatively compact, it is of course understood that the prop or leg structure at 14-. must allow this folding of the main structureand must itself be of such construction that it will take up a minimum space. As is shown in Fig. l, the prop or leg. embraces theside members 15 and 16 which are connected together at their lower ends as shown at 17, and these side members 15 and 16 are of'wooden strips or are made up of such other resilient material that they can be spread at their ends to meet the side rails l and 2 of the-ladder structure adjacent the upper end thereof. A bearing eye 181s carried by theside rails 2 adj acentthe upper end thereof and is preferably so mounted that slight turning movement is permitted, and at substantially the same relative position the side rail 1 has an eye 19 mounted fixedlythereon. A pin 20 connects theside member 16 of the leg or prop with the bearing eye 18, and a pin 21 is carried by the side member 15 to be fitted through the opening of the eye 19 on the side rail 1 of the ladder,.it of course being understood that the pin 21 is disposed on the inner side of the member 15 so that as fitted through the eye 19, the natural resiliency of the side members 15 and 16 will preclude spreading of the side members sufliciently that the pin 21 would be displaced. As has been stated, the side members 15 and 16 are of resilient material and after the member 15 has been sprung out to displace the pin 21 from the eye 19, these two members 15 and 16 will come together so that when the remaining parts of the ladder are brought to the folded or collapsed relation the prop or leg portion 14 will be equally compact.

Under some circumstances it may be found desirable to provide a wider and longer top step for the ladder structure, which top step will serve as a shelf, and where this is desired the cross supporting member 22 will be mounted between the side rails 1 and 2 substantially after the same manner as the top step of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, and then supporting legs 23 and 24: are disposed to extend upwardly from this cross supporting member 22, the shelf or step 25 being mounted on the supporting legs. In this form of the structure, the lengthening out or broadening of the part 25 will not interfere with the folding of the ladder and will not offer any material extension of the compact lines of the folded structure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that 1 have provided a step-ladder which is so constructed that not only are the steps and side rails foldably connected together, but also the bracing structure and the prop or leg for the support of the ladder in the position for use, are likewise so constructed and arranged that they can be connected in a manner to serve to brace and make the ladder structure rigid, or can be detached and folded to conform substantially to the lines of the folded ladder structure proper.

While 1 have herein shown and described only certain specific forms and mountings of the various parts, it will be understood that other types of hinge connections might be employed between the steps and side rails, that the braces and the prop might be connected in other manners than here shown, and that'a number of changes and variations might be resorted to, in view of which fact 1 wish to be limited to only such points as may be set forth in the claims.

I claim 2- 1. A folding step-ladder including side rails having steps foldably connected therewith, means to brace said parts to hold the ladder structure in a set-up position for use, a prop member including a pair of side members connected together, means by which the free end of one of the side menibers is connected adjacent the upper end of one of the side rails of the ladder structure to be capable of swinging movement, and means by which the free end of the remaining side member is detaehably connected with the remaining side rail.

2. A step-ladder comprising a plurality of I near the upper edge of said side rails, supporting legs carried by said upper step portion near the respective ends thereof, a shelf carried by the upper ends of said supporting legs and spaced from the upper step porrail toward the other While the ladder is being folded.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELSON A. S. MILLER.

tion for permitting the easy swinging of Witnesses: said u per step portion upon said side rails K. P. WATERs,

and a1 owing the free movement of one side LYDIA MILLER.

flame: 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

